What would make Ashhurst the best place to live by 2040? How do we take action to make that happen?

These are the key questions that have been addressed by participants in Ashhurst's August 2016 Village Vision and Planning process, which involved two independently-facilitated evening workshops, a workshop with Ashhurst School Senior Council, a community-wide survey, a survey of Ashhurst school students, and follow-up meetings and discussions.

One outcome is that a community decision has been made to apply to a community-led development programme offered through the DIA (Department of Internal Affairs). See below for more on what this is and how to get involved.

So far, the planning process has generated reports, a community-wide vision statement, and some initial activities. Full reports will be made available here and in the Ashhurst Community Library. Two items are currently available.

Draft Vision Statement for Ashhurst 2040. This is a one-page summary of what RECAP has heard from the community through the above process, combined with a one-page discussion of why the vision statement matters and how to give further input.

Report 2: Ashhurst Community-wide Survey and Ashhurst School Survey. Survey results in raw form are now available and have been shared with PNCC Village Planner Andrew Boyle and with Ashhurst School. A volunteer is writing up a report and analysis, and we will share it as soon as it is available.

Report 3 will remain as a draft for some time, as it is intended to be a living document of ongoing community discussion about how the people of Ashhurst would like their community to develop. RECAP would very much like all our reports to represent the full Ashhurst community as much as possible. While we're happy to facilitate the ongoing discussion about Ashhurst 2040 until it's picked up more widely, we know the vision is bigger than us and needs to engage and respect our diverse community. We are especially keen to address any real or perceived gaps in the engagement process up until now and we invite any community group or individual to contact us to discuss hopes, concerns, and plans. Our goal is to remain as transparent and responsive as possible.

Keep informed about the Ashhurst Action Group!

Community participants who are keen to continue engaging are encouraged to join a mailing list for the Ashhurst Action Group. The Ashhurst Action Group formed after a similar vision process in 1999, with some projects ongoing ever since. Participants in this 2016 vision process are keen to see Ashhurst Action Group membership and activities expanded. We hope to announce get-together times in the near future. Subscribe to the mailing list at: http://lists.recap.org.nz/listinfo/aag.

Community Development

Ashhurst residents have started talking to the DIA about the possibility of becoming partners for community-led development. If the partnership were to go forward, it would be an Ashhurst opportunity, not one for RECAP alone. Get in touch with us and we'll make sure you or your group can be kept informed and take part according to your interests. If you want to know more about the programme and how to participate, read the FAQ sheet we've prepared, or visit the DIA's web site.